Jacks for use in supporting portions of a trailer are well known. Jacks are often located in the front portion of the trailer which receives a trailer hitch from a towing vehicle. Typically, the jack includes a wheel or foot at its ground engaging end and a crank device at a second, opposite end. The crank device operates to raise and lower the wheel or foot, often through a telescoping support member arrangement.
These jacks may also include a device for permitting the jack to be rotated or pivoted from a vertical position to a horizontal position, ideal for storage once the trailer is connected to the towing vehicle. These pivot devices often include jack mounts which rely on a manually actuated pin to lock the jack in the vertical, support position. Failure to engage the pin can cause the jack to become unstable, especially when the attached trailer bears a load. Once engaged in the vertical, support position, to rotate the jack into the horizontal, storage position, the pin must be manually actuated or disengaged to allow the jack to rotate up and out of the way.
Failure to actuate or disengage the pin results in the jack remaining in the vertical, support position. Operation of the towing vehicle with the jack in this position can result in damage to the jack or jack assembly upon contact with an obstacle. The resulting damage may include bending or shearing of the pin used to lock the jack in the vertical position. Moreover, once the pin is bent or sheared, the jack will often “skip” along the ground, causing additional damage to the jack and/or ground engaging end. Additional damage to the jack or jack assembly can include deformation and even irreparable structural damage.
Accordingly, a jack and/or a mounting assembly for a jack is provided which is operable to support the trailer, is easily moved between a vertical, support position and a non-vertical or horizontal, storage position, and which is capable of break away pivotal movement to avoid structural damage upon contact with an obstacle.